WASHINGTON – The US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday aimed at countering sex trafficking that allows victims of such exploitation to seek justice against website owners who knowingly promote or facilitate it.
Senators voted 97-2 to pass the measure, which cleared the House of Representatives last month and now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature.
Supporters hailed the passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) as a major victory, but the measure is not without its critics: some say it would undermine a basic underpinning of the internet, which enables websites to host information from third parties without liability.
Senator Rob Portman, a Republican sponsor of the bill, called the vote “a victory for trafficking survivors and a victory for our efforts to help stop the selling of women and children online.”
“For far too long, bad actors like Backpage hid behind an outdated law that allowed them to knowingly facilitate sex trafficking of children online,” added Senate Democrat Claire McCaskill.
“But that ends today.”
Backpage and other websites have been accused of facilitating sexual exploitation including prostitution and human trafficking through their adult services listings.
Trump applauded the bill’s passage, with the White House saying it would help “end modern slavery in all of its forms.”
“The president and his entire administration are firmly committed to holding those who participate in these horrific crimes accountable,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
The Department of Justice, while supporting the intent of SESTA, had expressed concerns about the bill, warning lawmakers that part of it might violate the US Constitution.
The Center for Democracy & Technology has said the bill would create a “confusing mashup” of federal and state criminal and civil liability for intermediary websites and could result in censorship of legal content.
YEP !~ and POOF because of this CRAP… CRAIGSLIST PERSONALS Are NOW GONE…….. So much for hookups on there lol ;(…. im sure it will spread everywhere…. no more HOOKUP Dating… maybe even newspapers/magazines. POF,A4A,TINDER,GRINDR,OKCUPID,MEETME,BOYAHOY,JACK’D,DADDYHUNT, and who knows how many others will follow suit… most all will prolly VANISH…. bill has/had good intentions (sex traffiking) but to make a webpage responsible is TRASH from our government….. after all A OWNER cant possibly read every post and determine if is good or a sex trafficking post… (All above sites aren’t supposed to be a PAY for sex anyways. and sex trafficking is THAT… PAY….)
Just like the registry, more freedoms being stolen by a LAME US GOVERNMENT !! Wish I could leave this crappy country but they stopped that to kinda… IML
Sex trafficking? Please all they come up with is bills to pass, but don’t present any kind of proper evidence, but rhetorical statements about the dangers of sex trafficking just to trip people off into wanting more laws that won’t work this way.